Educational Interpreters & The Pyramid of Responsibility
A common misconception is that younger students with limited language skills need less experienced interpreters; however, the opposite is true.
In this video, Lillah Harris discusses the critical responsibilities of educational interpreters, focusing on the Pyramid of Responsibility—a key framework for understanding how interpreter roles vary based on students' language levels and needs.
As an Interpreter Supervisor at LAF Sign Language Solutions and an Educational Interpreter myself, one very common question that I often get is, 'What is the role and the responsibilities of the educational interpreter in the classroom setting?' With that question in mind, I would love to share a very valuable resource with you, which is referred to as the Pyramid of Responsibility.
A common misconception is that the lower a student's language level, age, or even learning abilities are, the less experienced of an interpreter needs to be placed with them. However, as illustrated in the diagram, these young learners with limited language skills actually need the most support at that level of their education.
In fact, they really need to have interpreters who are more experienced in building language skills, supporting the educational team and the goals that they set for the students, and also who are knowledgeable about deaf culture and language acquisition for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. As a student ages and progresses, not only in their language skills but also in other things like self-advocacy and social skills, the interpreter's role and responsibilities will adjust and change according to the student's needs.
So, in summary, I hope that this resource has been helpful in illustrating how the role that an interpreter plays with young students is so integral to building on their educational career.
At LAF SLS, we take great pride in placing well-qualified and experienced interpreters to meet whatever the needs of your students are. If you would like to know more about how easy it is to set up services, please reach out to us at the contact information below, and we cannot wait to hear more about how we can support you and your students.